The LMR locomotives were used on push-pull routes, and were often allocated alongside the Ivatt 2MT 2-6-2T engines with which they shared most of their origins.

Numbers 84021–84029, the Southern Region locomotives were all allocated to the Eastern Section depot at Ashford for use on the lines over Romney Marsh and local trains on the Margate via Canterbury West route.

Most were transferred away to the North Eastern Region in the early 1960s following electrification, but several locomotives (including some of the LMR allocation) were re-allocated to Eastleigh in 1965 for possible use on the Isle of Wight, replacing life-expired LSWR O2 class engines, which were all over 70 years old by then.

None of the class survived the cutter's torch, although their size and configuration would have made them an ideal choice for use on heritage railways.

Further reasons cited by the Bluebell Railway, where 78059 is based, are the suitability of the locomotive class for the railway's service trains, and because the tender version of the class was never allocated to the Southern Region, and hence the tank version (which was allocated there) is far more appropriate for the Bluebell's Southern Region location.